There had to be a catch, thought Paul, hoisting his rucksack on his shoulders, ready to leave the chemistry lab. Why would blonde, beautiful Claire Sharpe ask him to go to the cinema? Had Gavin and his mates put her up to it? Was she planning to stand him up? Or worse, would she lure him there and then they would jump out at him and beat him up?

He didn’t know Claire very well but what he did know of her didn’t really fit such a trick. If it was Charlotte or one of the other hoity-toity bitches, he could definitely imagine something like that happening. But Claire was different. She was popular but quiet. She didn’t have to try as hard as everybody else.

Paul tried to think. It was the last class of the day and he was debating whether he should leg it home or wait for half an hour and start his homework in the relative safety of the lab. Mr Simmons had finished the class a few minutes late and Paul was nervous. He decided to wait until he was sure Gavin and his gang were well ahead of him on the route home.

Satisfied he’d made the right decision, he pretended to do up his shoelace until the rest of the class had disappeared before taking out his books and going over the homework. But he couldn’t concentrate. He thought of Claire’s long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail, revealing her beautiful face. He’d seen her in classes for years, but it was the first time she’d actually talked to him and seeing her up close was fascinating. Unlike some girls, she didn’t seem to wear any make-up and her skin was clear, almost translucent. Her eyes were as blue as his. He’d noticed her small ears, pierced with studs in the shape of stars and underneath her shirt collar, he had caught a glimpse of a thin silver chain. He had turned away then, not wanting to be caught staring but he knew she’d caught him anyway.

Paul adjusted his position on the stool and attempted to refocus on his homework, trying not to think about how she’d made him feel. But it was no use. He recalled how happy she’d looked when she managed to work out the maths question; he’d wanted to kiss her then, just so he could feel her smile. Perhaps she really did want to go out with him, thought Paul, remembering how she’d told him he was brilliant. Apart from a touch of acne, he knew he wasn’t the ugliest in his year.